Ray Korpela sees opportunities in the resource sector

Ray and Magie

Always interested in building and designing, in his early years, Ray Korpela, Practice Leader - Resource Transportation, thought he might like to be a carpenter when he grew up. In grade 8, his Industrial Arts teacher suggested he consider a career in engineering, and the suggestion stuck. After completing high school, Ray went on to become an engineering technologist. Ray says, “It just seemed like a natural progression.”

While in college, one of Ray’s instructors was the chief draftsman for Phillips Barret. He hired Ray for his first position in an engineering office.

Later, Ray was fortunate to become the engineering superintendent for Houston Forest Products. “This position allowed me the freedom to plan, design, and build forestry roads, bridges, and transportation systems. Later I became the operations superintendent responsible for all operational activities, while maintaining my responsibilities as engineering superintendent. It was a great experience and opened many opportunities for me.”

During his time with Houston Forest Products, Ray took a two year sailing sabbatical to Mexico. Upon returning, he worked for several construction companies. While with Lecleir Bros. Contracting, he managed the Mission Couplet project, a transportation project designed by Associated Engineering, with Kerry Rudd as the project manager. Kerry offered Ray a job at Associated Engineering and Ray accepted. That was 12 years ago.

Associated Engineering was not an unknown entity to Ray at that time. When Ray was the engineering superintendent at Houston Forest Products, Associated Engineering’s David Harvey designed Ray’s first forestry bridge. Ray reflects, “I believe my history with Associated Engineering goes back 23 years.”

Ray finds his work at Associated Engineering interesting and challenging. The Beaver Cove Chipping Facility and Pebble Mine feasibility study stand out as project highlights, as do the transportation and planning projects.

When asked what directions the consulting engineering industry needs to go in the next few years, Ray responds, “With respect to the resource sector, there will always be a world-wide demand for resources, and Canada is well positioned to meet these demands.

In Western Canada, the mining, and oil and gas sectors will continue to be active and create new jobs. Associated Engineering and, specifically, our Resource Infrastructure Group has and will continue to develop new clients in these areas while supporting our traditional forest sector base. The consulting industry will need to be flexible, and position themselves with the ability to adjust to new market demands and take advantages of new opportunities as they present themselves.”

When asked if he has advice to give young technologists and engineers entering the field, Ray responds, “In early years, work in as many disciplines as possible, and make every effort to find out what the business of consulting is all about. I am still learning!”

“Young technologists and engineers entering the field need to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. In the resource industry, there is no substitute for experience. Anyone entering the work force in this field must be prepared to spend time out in the field to understand how infrastructure gets constructed and what the client needs are.”

In addition to working in the resource industry, Ray enjoys spending time with his new wife, Magie. Magie and Ray were married August 10, 2007. Other passions include his children, motorcycle trips, sailing, kayaking, reading and travelling.

When asked if he had a favourite quote, Ray says, “May the wind always blow at your back . . . at my age, I need all the help I can get to keep going forward.”

Ray at the 60th parallel at the Alberta/Northwest Territories border	Ray sailing near Salt Spring Island, BC

New Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill Interchange will improve reliability and safety

East pylons with deck pier segment

Associated Engineering is part of a design-build team with Peter Kiewit Sons and MMM Group to complete the Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill Bypass Interchange in Metro Vancouver. This $200 million project is the first contract in BC’s Gateway Program, which will improve the movement of traffic and goods in the Lower Mainland of BC. The new Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill Interchange Project will replace two existing swing bridges and the existing Lougheed Highway and Mary Hill Bypass intersection in Port Coquitlam. The intersection will be replaced with a new grade-separated interchange.

Associated Engineering is responsible for the bridge design, including foundation and sub-structure design, seismic, vessel impact and lateral load design, design of approaches, and an independent design check of the cable-stayed spans.

The new, seven-lane bridge will be a cable-stayed structure across Pitt River. The bridge will be located between the existing swing bridges, and have three lanes westbound (with provision for four lanes), four lanes eastbound, and cyclist and pedestrian facilities. The bridge will also provide up to 16 metres of vertical marine clearance.

Working with International Bridge Technologies (IBT) of California, our team developed an innovative and cost-effective bridge concept. The bridge design includes two main pylons, with three planes of cable stays. The cable-stayed bridge reduces the number of river piers to one, which will reduce river construction works and impacts to the environment and marine users.

Don Kennedy, Design Manager for the Associated Engineering team, advises, “The seismic design has a three-level, performance-based criteria. Pushover analysis was required to assess the seismic and vessel impact performance of the main pylons, approach pier, and piles. 3D linear spectral and non-linear time history analyses were performed for demand verification and final design checking. In addition, we undertook detailed wind and cable loss studies for the superstructure.”

Design and Resident Engineer, Saqib Khan reports, “Erection of the cable-stayed superstructure for the main bridge has begun. Kiewit has completed the first east and west Pylons, E1 and W1, and has constructed the pier table at Pylon E1. In addition, piles, pile cap and columns have been erected at Piers E2 and E3. Pier W2 pile cap has been poured and the pier W3 piles have been installed.”

Once completed in November 2009, the new bridge and interchange will improve reliability for vehicle and marine traffic, improve safety, and provide sufficient capacity for these growing municipalities

Other key personnel involved on the project include Helen Du, John Fussell, David Harvey, Mark Porter, Sayed Soleimani, John Du, Jhun Dualan, and Marie Chandler.

South elevation, showing new pylons behind existing swing bridge